Jennifer Aniston is Always in Reruns

Jennifer Aniston is on the cover of GQ Spain’s July/August issue and when I saw the cover, I though it looked really familiar. But really, most Jennifer Aniston magazine spreads look alike because she rarely veers from her tanned and toned aesthetic.
Now several outlets have confirmed that indeed the photo was featured in US Vogue December 2008. You remember that issue; it was the “uncool” heard around the world. (Lainey: images from that shoot are attached. She really did look great. Oh Norman!)

GQ Spain is published by Condé Nast International and Vogue is published by Condé Nast, so securing the rights would have been fairly easy. The few excerpts released have been pretty generic and Fabulous at 40! stuff like, “I’ll tell you what, I think the 40s are great.” Jen wasn’t in her 40s when this photo was taken, but that falls on the editor, not her. But maybe money at GQ Spain is tight and they wanted to save on a summer cover.

Or perhaps Jen didn’t feel like getting ready for a photo shoot and instead wanted to eat and only work out once a day that month. Imagine the prep that goes into a cover—if you think they just show up, watch The September Issue. Anna Wintour’s glare could make the most confident woman give up carbs for life.

But why recycle that particular shot? Vogue features require hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures with different settings, outfits, backdrops and hairstyles. Was there not one image that didn’t make Vogue but still could have suited GQ Spain?

Aniston’s team likely has cover approval, meaning they would have OK’d the re-run. And this is where I’m supposed to call her vain and boring, but I won’t! We all have a photo we reuse, even if it’s a bit… dated. When we need a picture for our social media or work and we pull that baby up because it’s a rare photo that hits all of our vanities: thin angle, hair and makeup perfectly done (but not obviously so), bright eyes, photogenic expression, good outfit. Even the most photographed people in the world have their favourites. Probably more so.

Right now, a magazine needs a photo from me and my standby doesn’t fit the specs. I haven’t used a new picture in months and I’m procrastinating. Look at the hair, the body, the tan, the pose. It’s quintessential Jennifer Aniston at the beach. I want to Photoshop my face in and call it a day.